I compile the annual wage survey for the precision machining industry, and my sample is a nice slice of industry shops.

We don’t have any labor jobs in our shop hourly wage survey.

None.

Nada.

Zip!

Zero!

On the other hand, the jobs that we do have are all jobs requiring high levels of process ownership and personal performance.

Think of all of the aspects of our jobs- the tools, the offsets, the relationships between datums, the materials, the gages, the chips and their control, the coolants, the controls, the software code- and suddenly being a machinist looks a lot like being a Performer:

Almost as much stuff to keep track of as we have as machinists!

So today, I’m going to cue up a Neil Peart video on Youtube as an appreciative salute to the music made on our production machines under the watchful practice of our skilled performers.

I’m not celebrating Labor Day.

But I am certainly going to use the time to appreciate the performers in our shops who make things that make a difference.

Welcome to our blog, Speaking of Precision. As Director of Technology and Industry Research for PMPA, I bring 38 years of hands-on experience in areas of manufacturing, quality and steelmaking. I help answer "HOW?","WITH WHAT?" and "REALLY?"